


Butterfly on my right shoulder

by thekuroiookami



Series: You make me complete [2]
Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, F/M, Fluff, High School, Ice Skating, No Plot/Plotless, Reader-Insert, Romance, Short & Sweet, What Have I Done
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-03
Updated: 2017-02-18
Packaged: 2018-09-21 16:32:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,461
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9557300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thekuroiookami/pseuds/thekuroiookami
Summary: The whirlwind(?) romance that sweeps Kagami Taiga off his feet into a very different kind of court.





	1. First impressions are not always the best

For not the first time that day, Kagami wondered how he got himself into these things.

_Oh wait, I know. It was Kise that got me into this._

Gritting his teeth, he pulled himself upright with a grunt of effort. A slight adjustment had him careening to the left. He windmilled his arms, trying to keep from falling painfully.

Kise, that smarmy bastard, was tutting as if this wasn’t all his fault. “Kagamicchi, I expected more from you. Your sense of balance is terrible.”

Moriyama, equally smug, started sprinkling salt into his wounds. “That’s right. What’s the point of growing up in America if you can’t skate?” He skated a few lazy circles around Kagami to rub it in.

“For the last time,” Kagami growled, “I grew up in L.A. **Los Angeles.** There isn’t exactly a pile of snow to wade around in.”

Moriyama wouldn’t let it go. “But surely you had ice rinks like this one? I mean, it isn’t winter here either.”

Kagami had to admit he had a point. The red-head chose not to exacerbate the situation by giving Moriyama more fodder, and instead concentrated on unfolding himself. On the bright side, Kasamatsu was as bad or possibly even worse off. Kaijo’s ex-captain was clenching on to a rail with a death grip, knuckles white.

Moriyama gave Kasamatsu a hearty thump on the back that almost sent his feet out from under him.

“Moriyama, you idiot, are you trying to kill me?” Kasamatsu’s voice came out even raspier than Kagami’s.

“My dear Yukio-chan, you will never get a girl like this. It’s a good thing the rink is almost empty, or I would be hiding from second-hand embarrassment.”

Kagami tottered to a standing position and looked around, surveying the area. Aside from a couple of kids, who seemed to be leaving, there was no one on the rink. He was silently congratulating himself on not having anyone witness his humiliation when a girl, about his age and dressed in black, glided out onto the ice. She gave them all a brief glance and then proceeded to ignore them, settling a pair of headphones over her hair.

Moriyama was instantly on alert. “It’s girl. A CUTE GIRL. This is the perfect opportunity to demonstrate my masculine appeal and flirt with her. Kise, come with me!”

A bewildered Kise attempted to resist. “But why do I have to get involved in your business, senpai?”

“Because you’re pretty and she will be much more susceptible to my charm with you blinding her.”

The girl in question was totally oblivious, moving in a smooth serpentine figure across the length of the rink. It brought her closer to where they were standing near the edge, and Kagami saw that Moriyama’s assessment was correct. She had a pretty, sharp face, set in concentration. He was briefly caught in her intensity.

_She looks like...the way I feel when I'm on the court._

Kise continued to refuse to participate in Moriyama’s absurd plan. “I don’t want to, Moriyama-senpai. It sounds troublesome.”

The senior would not be deterred. He grabbed Kise’s arm to pull him forward. “Come now, Kise. Listen to your elders.”

Kagami saw a series of disastrous events happen in slow motion. Kise tugged his arm back, sending an unprepared Moriyama off balance. He toppled over, crashing into Kasamatsu, whose already precarious stance was instantly destroyed. Kasamatsu flailed, grabbing the not-very stable Kagami for support. Unfortunately, Kagami had been standing with his back to him, so this just made him wobblier than before and he pitched forward. His last thought as the ice came hurtling up to meet his face was that he’d never trust Kise again.

What he didn’t expect was the fall to be so…pillowy? He opened one eye, propping himself up with a hand and looked up to see a pair of cobalt blue eyes. He blinked in fascination, caught in the crystalline depths of the girl’s irises.

You, however, were not amused. The boy you had caught from falling was about half a foot taller than you, and a lot heavier. You just wanted his deadweight off.

“Say, this might be comfortable for you, but honestly I could do without this experience.” Your voice was flat.

“I…err…what?”

Kise hissed at him. “Kagamicchi, get off of her! You’re in a really embarrassing position!”

He looked down and flew back like a scalded cat. Kagami’s face sizzled, almost electric in its redness.

_WAS MY FACE JUST RESTING IN HER CHEST?_

He stuttered, burning in the awkwardness of the situation. “I-I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to…your chest was soft…I mean, I didn’t realize…I’M VERY SORRY!”

You were hardly paying attention, now that you were free of the cage that had been his body. Though you had to admit his arms, in the brief contact you had with them, had been intriguingly muscled. You suspected you could break wood on his biceps.

_I wonder what he does that he’s got muscle tone like that but no sense of balance._

You slid your eyes in his direction, brushing off your clothes. He froze, waiting for the inevitable crackdown.

“Be more careful next time. It’s difficult to skate if there’s blood on the ice.” With that, you sailed away, already stepping back into the routine to set up for your jump.

Kagami watched, stunned, as you smoothly skated backward, twisted and jumped with a leg outstretched and landed in a dizzyingly fast sit spin. Kasamatsu’s voice came from behind, awed.

“That’s…amazing. It looks really dangerous.” Before Kagami could agree, Moriyama cut in.

“More importantly, let’s talk about how Kagami conveniently fell face forward on to that young lady’s chest. I’ve never even been that close to a girl, much less her…softer parts. Tell me, Kagami, how did it feel?”

All three of them stared the ace with unblinking intensity, waiting for a response.

Kagami went back to the shade of his hair again. “WHY ARE YOU ASKING ME THESE QUESTIONS? Besides, whose fault is it that I ended up doing that, anyway?!”

The culprit was unrepentant. “Kagami, you have no game.”

Kise and Kasamatsu’s face took on dubious casts. “Look at who’s talking. You’re in college and you still haven’t found anyone to put up with you, Moriyama.”

He waved it away. “Anyway, Kagami, I think you should get that young lady’s number. I think she likes you.”

The duo of sceptical faces turned into a trio as Kagami turned to Moriyama with a flabbergasted look.   

Kise finally showed a modicum of sense and intervened. “I think we should just go for lunch now. Kasamatsu-senpai, lead the way.”

As Kagami followed them off the ice, he cast one last look at you, gliding across the rink, and became a little wistful.

_I wish I had asked for her name._

* * *

Two weeks later, Kagami had his wish granted. In a manner of speaking. Looking back on it, he supposed he had Aomine of all people to thank for it.

Kagami growled in frustration as Aomine ducked past him, yet again, and moved into a graceful layup, the movements fluid. The second boy sauntered back, grinning, not even bothering to watch the ball fall into the net.

“5-3. My win. Again.” Aomine took a swig out of his bottle to emphasize the sentence.

“Tch. I can’t believe you became even faster than before. Was that really necessary?” Kagami wiped his face with his wristband, trying to catch his breath.

“Should have thought about that before you and Tetsu decided to bulldoze everyone at the Winter Cup. Made us all fired up. What did you think was going to happen?”

Deciding not to delve to deeply into it in case he discovered Aomine actually had a point (and what a horrifying thought that was), he shook it off and looked at the tanned figure.

“Shall we go at it one last round and call it quits?”

“Still haven’t had enough punishment? Fine then, I’ll take you on.” He sunk into a defensive position as Kagami began dribbling the ball.

Kagami decided to try something new and moved to the left, speeding up. Aomine kept up easily, eyes narrowing as he leaned forward to snatch the ball. Kagami abruptly gave the ball a sharp push downwards. Aomine was startled as the ball bounced off under him, coming up behind him in time for Kagami to dunk it into the net. The red-head landed with a victorious thud.

“Ha. Take that for punishment, Ahomine.”

The person in question had wide eyes. “What in the world was that?”

“Something I worked out with Kasamatsu-san. Though it doesn’t always work, because most players are shorter than me.”

Aomine looked down in horror. “You mean I could have permanently been disfigured?! Bakagami, were you trying to kill me, or does it just come naturally to you?”

Kagami opened his mouth to retort when he had a crawling sensation up his neck, like he was being watched. He whipped his head around to find the girl from the rink watching him with her hypnotic blue eyes. He dropped the ball in shock.

You slipped the headphones from your ears when recognition dawned. “It’s the clumsy oak tree from before. Yo.”

“You’re…I mean…um…hello? It’s nice to m-meet you!” His ears had gone red, and he was making frantic gestures.

You slid your eyes to Aomine, who was watching the whole interaction with interest and took him in.

_Hmm, this one’s physique isn’t bad either. Are they still playing one-on-one? They were here when I went by half an hour ago._

You moved to put your headphones back in. “Do continue. Didn’t mean to interrupt your game. See you around.”

A hand on your wrist stilled you. You looked up to find, yet again, Kagami’s sturdy form looming over you. He tugged your hand up gently. “What happened to your hand? Are you injured?”

His long fingers were rough and calloused, easily wrapping over your wrist. A bloom of warmth spread out from his touch. You replied, still sounding bored. “Nope, it’s just a sprain. I fell, it happens.”

He sucked in a breath. “Don’t tell me it’s from that day…”

You were vaguely fascinated by how his face had gone from gruff concern to abject sadness, so it took you a second to catch up. “Huh? Oh. No, this was another fall.”

Kagami had some practice with emotionally unreadable personalities (i.e. Kuroko) so even he didn’t fail to notice the way your face darkened. It was subtle, but still present. He suddenly felt the need to pick you up and press you to him.

He dropped your hand like it was on fire and backed away.

_What was I thinking just now?! And since when did I just go around grabbing people?_

Aomine decided enough was enough. “Oi, Bakagami. Either we finish this game or you flirt somewhere else. Don’t waste my time.”

Kagami’s already strung out nerves felt like they’d been put through the dryer. “W-what are you talking about? Shut up, Ahomine! Who said anything about f-flirting?”

You watched them go at it for a bit, face expressionless. Eventually, when you could tell no progress would be made, you spoke up.

“Is it alright if I stay and watch you guys play?”

They both stopped mid-argument and turned their heads to you. You thought their coordinated robotics were rather fascinating.

“What?” Aomine sounded annoyed. Well, more than before.

“You still have one game left, yeah? If it doesn’t bother you, I’m going to watch from over there. Whenever you guys are done bickering like five-year olds, that is.”

They both had the grace to look chastened. Kagami ruffled his hair nervously. “If…if you want to.”

You nodded and settled yourself on the bench, crossing one knee over the other. Kagami swallowed his self-consciousness and turned back to find a gleefully vengeful Aomine.

“You’re going down, Bakagami.”

In the end, it was a very close match, but Aomine won again. Somewhere along the way, he’d gotten so absorbed in the game that he’d forgotten you were there. So Kagami flinched in surprise when your voice floated out to him.

“That was really impressive. Do you guys play for your school teams?”

He looked up from his prone position on the ground to see you leaning against the base of the net. Your expression had finally shifted from indifference to one of interest. His heart skipped a beat.

Aomine mumbled from his similarly horizontal posture. “We’re the aces. Couldn’t you tell?”

“Not at all. Which school is it?”

Kagami belatedly realized introductions had never been made. “I’m Kagami Taiga, second-year ace for Seirin High. That moron over there is Aomine Daiki, second-year ace for Touou Academy.”

There was a pause as you took this in. “I see. I didn’t realize it was you two. That’s interesting. I suppose it’s my turn then. I’m ____, third-year in Komae High. Nice to meet you.”

Kagami sat up, surprised. “Y-you’re older than me? Ma’am!” You blinked, unconcerned.

Aomine lifted an eyebrow in interest. “Is that the girls-only school famous for their cute sailor uniforms?”

You nodded. “That’s the one. Oh, before I forget, here.” You held out ice-creams to the both of them.

“I was on my way back from the konbini. Take those and cool off.”

Aomine accepted his without any hesitation and bit into the popsicle with a sound of joy. “Man, that feels good. Thanks.”

Kagami, still reeling from the revelation that you were a whole year older than him, was slower. He jolted as his fingers brushed yours, sending electricity up his arm. You seemed unaffected, biting down into the popsicle with a hum. He had to turn his head away to hide his blush.

_Do not think about her lips and the ice-cream. Do not. DO NOT._

He cleared his throat to distract himself. “So, um, what club are you in, ____-san?”

You released the lolly with a pop to speak. He gripped his own ice-cream harder. “None at the moment, I guess.”

Aomine sucked back the last bits of ice and inspected the wooden stick. “I guess? Wouldn’t you know if you were in a club or not?”

You seemed to curl up into yourself at the question. Kagami mentally cursed Aomine’s bluntness. He was curious too, but he didn’t want to torture the reply out of you.

Your voice was subdued when you spoke. “I did have something I liked to do until recently, but I’ve stopped. So for now, I don’t have a club. It’s probably for the best. I should focus on my exams this year.”

You clearly didn’t want to broach this subject any longer, so Kagami said the first thing that came to mind. “Would you like to have dinner with me sometime?”

Two pairs of blue eyes widened at this. Kagami realized all the implications of the statement and backpedalled.

“I mean, like, as thanks! Not a date. Or anything romantic. To thank you for the ice-cream and as an apology for knocking you over that time. It can be lunch or something. I’m a decent cook, I swear.”

Aomine seemed to have recovered from his initial shock and was now finding the whole thing hilarious. “It’s true. He might have no brains, but he can cook like he does.”

Your lips had tilted up in vague amusement. “I suppose I should take advantage then. I have high expectations of you, Kagami-kun.”

Kagami had to work hard to supress the riot of feelings that your words caused. He couldn’t believe that he’d get to meet you again. On purpose.

_And she called me Kagami-kun…_

He snapped back to reality to hear, Aomine Daiki, of all people, giving him dating advice. “Bakagami, you should probably exchange numbers now.”

“Eh?”

“If you want to take her out for dinner. Or do I need to pound it into your thick skull for you to get it?” Aomine’s voice managed to be low and frustrated at the same time.

“Ah. C-could I have your number please?” His heart pounded as you looked up from your bag.

“Yeah, sure. Just give me a second. I’ll give you my phone so you can give me yours too.”

Kagami gulped as you handed him your absurdly delicate looking, snow white cell phone. It looked so fragile in his hands.

_I’m really doing this. I’m giving a girl my number. So we can meet up again. Coach would be proud of me._

When he was done, you snapped your phone shut and swept your gaze over him. “I’ll call you, Kagami-kun. It was fun meeting both of you. I’ll see you later then.”

He managed a coherent reply. “Okay, see you around, ____-san.” He turned to leave before he could mess this up any further.

“Oh, and Kagami-kun.” Your words stopped him midway. He turned to look over his shoulder.

“Yeah?”

You gave him a heart-stopping smile, full of secrets and laughter. “I wouldn’t mind if it were a date.”

Kagami barely heard anything Aomine said on the way home, his brain was too busy falling apart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this ties into the universe that Akashi's fic runs in. I wouldn't say it's AU, but you can call it that if you like. This one will be nowhere near as long, since Kagami is too much of a normal guy for me to write, lol.
> 
> Thoughts are much appreciated, since the tiger's head is one that I haven't really scrounged around in.


	2. Work in progress

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The date-that's-not-a-date happens. Fluffy things ensue.

Kuroko glanced over as Kagami anxiously checked his phone for the hundredth time. The taller boy frowned unhappily.

“Are you expecting a call, Kagami-kun?” Kuroko managed to sound only mildly curious.

“Erm, I- it’s not a call exactly, but maybe a message? I don’t know,” he finished glumly.

Kuroko looked suspicious. “Is it important? Like something from the bank, or your parents?”

“No. It’s nothing like that. Never mind, I should have known better than to hope for something like that…It’s been more than a couple of weeks.” He hefted his bag over his shoulder, face downcast. “Come on, let’s go home.”

On the way back, Kagami didn’t notice Kuroko anxiously casting looks his way, too deep in his morose thoughts. When they reached the familiar street corner, Kuroko finally gave up and yanked on Kagami’s hair.

He yelped in surprise. “OW! What was that for?”

Kuroko sighed. “Kagami-kun, I don’t know what’s bothering you. But you should know it will turn out okay. And that you have friends who care.”

Kagami’s expression softened. “I know. Thanks, Kuroko.”

“Then I’ll see you on Monday. Take care.”

They bumped fists and parted ways. Just as he entered his apartment, flicking the lights on, Kagami’s cellphone pinged. He almost dropped it in surprise when he saw the message.

**You: Sorry I took so long. I know it’s sudden, but are you free tomorrow?**

He scrambled to type a response.

**Kagami: No worries. What time did you want to meet?**

**You: About two. There’s a small omurice restaurant near the court you were playing in. I know the jii-san there, so if you wanted to bring your own food, that would be ok.**

He made a mental inventory of his fridge. A trip to grocery was definitely in order. He needed mackerel, shallots, milk…wait. What did one even make for a situation like this? More importantly, what did you like to eat? He decided to risk it and just ask you.

**K: I know the place. By the way, is there anything you like to eat in particuler?**

The anticipation was killing him. What if you said something impossible, like sushi?

**You: I’m not very fussy. I don’t like bitter stuff though. Also, I think your autocorrect is malfunctioning.**

He let out a small exhale of relief. At least he knew what to avoid now. He focused on the last part of your text.

**K: What do you mean? It’s werking fine.**

There was a stretch of interminable radio silence. He was growing more and more puzzled until his phone finally buzzed again. He actually dropped it this time when he saw an incoming call. Brushing his damp palms on his shirt, he picked it up.

“H-hello?”

“Kagami-kun.” Your voice washed over him like a cool wave. “I just realized this, but…is it that you can’t spell kanji correctly?”

He froze. His ears began burning, slow and sure. “How…how did you know?”

You paused for a second. “I noticed this already, but you kept adding -desu to everything after you found out I was older. And your spelling is atrocious. Did you not grow up in Japan?”

He flailed a bit, forgetting there was no one to see his explanatory gestures. “It’s just hard to remember, ok? And yeah, I lived in America for a bit. But is this why you called?”

There was a shrug implied in your voice. “It was too troublesome to text, and I thought I might as well enjoy hearing you growl a bit.”

He was fully blushing now. The subject needed to be changed, NOW. “Ahem. So are you sure there’s nothing else you want to eat, ___-san?”

You sounded thoughtful. “Hmm, not really. Just do whatever you do best. I won’t be too mean, I promise.”

Kagami’s reply was dry. “Gee, thanks. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon, then.”

“Yeah. I’ll look forward to it.” You hung up, leaving only a dial tone behind you.

He stared at the phone for a few more seconds, chest still echoing with warmth. “Me too.”

* * *

 

You looked up from your position near the counter as Kagami walked into the tiny restaurant.

“Oh, you’re here.” You took in the bag he was carrying. “That looks like a lot of food.”

The wizened owner of the establishment beamed in recognition. “Oh my, is that you, Kagami-kun? It’s been a while. Are you on a date? How nice!”

Before the embarrassed red-head could sputter out anything, you shook your head at the twinkling old man. “Jii-san, you shouldn’t tease him. We’re having lunch today. As for dating, we’ll see.”

You walked over and tugged on Kagami’s sleeve. “This way. There’s a table in the corner.”

After seating himself, he flashed a quick glance at you. You were gazing out of the window, lost in thought. His heart thumped when your eyes came back to his.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.” He began unpacking the bag. “Are you hungry?”

“A little. Did you really make all of this?” Your eyes widened at the array of food being set out before you.

He smiled a little, proud at getting a reaction out of you. “I have to cook for myself a lot. Here.” A bento with perfectly made egg-rolls, fried rice and vegetables was set before you.

“Ja, itadakimasu.” You picked up the chopsticks and bit into a roll. You looked up at Kagami, impressed. “It’s really good, Kagami-kun. I’m surprised.”

His face stretched into a happy grin, eyes crinkling at the corners. “So you’ll forgive me after all?”

Your lips kicked up at corners in amusement. “Maybe. You might have doomed yourself with this food though. What if I insist that you make lunch for me forever?”

His cheeks heated up. “I…wouldn’t mind.”

You blinked in surprise, not at all expecting that answer. You decided to change the topic before it got too awkward. “So, are you playing in the Interhigh this summer?”

He brightened. For a while, you listened to him talk cheerfully about his team, Kuroko, the coach and how he was looking forward to the matches.

You interrupted with a question. “So how are you planning to win if everyone knows about Kuroko-kun’s misdirection abilities? Surely they’ll be expecting it.”

He paused midway through a bite. “I don’t know yet, but I have faith in my senpais and Kuroko. We’ll figure something out.”

Your expression turned melancholy. “That sounds nice. To have people you trust so much.”

Kagami hesitated, and spoke cautiously. “Say, I’ve been wondering for a while now…but what was it that you had to stop doing? Was it something like what you were doing at the rink?”

You turned your eyes down, gaze unseeing. “That’s…”

“You don’t have to tell me anything if you don’t want to. I just asked because you seemed…down.”

You sighed and looked out of the window, gathering your thoughts. Eventually you faced him again.

“It’s alright, I don’t mind telling you. Yes, I used to figure-skate, but I had to stop.”

“Why?” He watched your face carefully as your mouth became a hard line.

“I…a series of unfortunate things happened, I got injured, and long story short, I can’t skate competitively anymore. It would damage my ankle beyond repair if I tried. It’s…hard for me to cope right now.”

_Ah. That’s why it looked so familiar. That was Kiyoshi-senpai’s face I saw there._

His voice was rough with sympathy. “I’m sorry. I can’t imagine how that feels.” He really couldn’t bring himself to think about not being able to play basketball ever again. Just sitting still with a sprained leg had been too much.

You smiled, but your eyes were still bleak. “It could be worse. I just need some time to sort my feelings. That’s why it took me a while to contact you. I was waiting on the doctor’s report. And then for a while, I was just…not myself.”

He felt a strange wrench in his chest as the colour leached out of your face. The need to reassure, comfort and protect you was strong, but how was he supposed to stop you from hurting yourself?

Kagami came back to reality when you spoke again. “…ne, would you mind playing for me again?”

He blinked at you, confused. “What?”

“Can I watch you play basketball again? Not now, but another time.”

“S-sure. I’d like it if you came to watch. But I have a request too.” He was proud of himself, managing to get all the words out without giving away how fast his heart was beating.

 It was your turn to look curious. “What is it?”

“I want to watch you skate. Like a full routine and stuff. Desu.”

You frowned a little. “You do realize I won’t be participating in competitions anymore, right? And stop treating me so formally. I don’t really need to be addressed as a senpai.”

He set his jaw and looked directly at you. “I know, but if it won’t strain you, I want to see you skate a full routine. That’s my request, ___-san.”

You were mildly surprised.

_He didn’t seem like the type to care about much beyond basketball…And he’s still calling me by my last name. At least he’s not doing the other stuff anymore._

“I’ll be doing an exhibition soon, so I can send you an invite if you really want to see me skate. You could bring friends too.”

He jerked his head in a nod. By mutual consent, the lunchboxes were packed up and you both wandered outside, content to walk aimlessly in each other’s company. Kagami was initially a bit uneasy, but soon he settled into the comfort of your companionable silence.

“Thanks for lunch again, Kagami-kun. You know you didn’t really have to do that.”

“I know.” He said it under his breath, gaze directed into the distance.

You considered him for a moment, eyes dark. “It’s strange, we’ve only met twice before this, but I feel so relaxed around you. Like I’ve known you my whole life. I wonder why that is.”

He whipped around in shock. The words came tumbling out before he could stop them. “But I feel anything but relaxed around you!”

There was a moment where you both stared at each other. Then Kagami blushed as per usual and you had to hide a laugh behind your hand. “Pfft. Kagami-kun. You never cease to surprise. Ah well.”

You nudged his arm with an elbow, smiling a little into his face. “I would be worried if you felt too comfortable around me, so keep going.”

He surprised you by pulling you into a tight hug, hiding his face in your hair. At first you stiffened, then when you realized he wasn’t making any other movements, you gradually relaxed into him. Kagami was a blanket of heat and security, his frame reassuringly solid against your softer curves. He mumbled something.

“…it’s not fair, your heart should be racing too.”

Before you could say something to confirm or deny this, Kagami looked up towards the sky in trepidation.

“Don’t tell me it’s…” A gust of wind was all the warning you had before the rain began in earnest. Before long, you were both soaked through, hair dripping and clothes glued to your skin.

He looked at you in a worried grimace. “My apartment is nearby. Do you want to come dry off there?”

You hesitated for a second. He caught on to your line of thought and gestured wildly.

“Ah, I promise not to do anything weird! I wasn’t suggesting anything like that, I swear. If it helps, my mentor is staying with me at the moment, so we won’t be alone.”

The situation wasn’t getting any better, and you figured that this was a calculated risk, why not.

He started as you slipped your fingers between his. He looked back and forth between your linked hands and your face a few times. You tightened your grip, making him draw a breath.

“Lead the way, Kagami-kun.”

* * *

 

His arm was awash with sensation by the time he got home. You were as cheerfully detached as ever, looking around at the tidiness of the room in an admiring fashion. Your eyes lingered on the medal displayed proudly on the cabinet. Kagami stamped down on his self-conciousness and went into his bedroom.

He came back out with a pile of thick, fluffy towels and clothing. “Here, the bath’s that way if you want to…” He trailed off as he took in your appearance.

_Oh crap, I didn’t look at her all the way here because I was so embarrassed and I forgot her clothes got wet…_

Your skirt, originally a loose flowy thing, now outlined the line of your legs, dipping enticingly. Your thin cotton blouse was equally bad, clinging to every imaginable surface. And was that pink he saw through the white fabric?

He shoved down the memories that thought brought with it when you looked at him questioningly. He shoved the towels in your direction, eyes screwed shut. “Please change quickly!”

You took the fluffy mass and looked down at yourself. “Ah. Be right back.”

A bit later, Kagami had managed to bring his nerves back under control. He stirred in some cream into the steaming mug, wondering what Kuroko would have to say about all of this. Probably that was not a line of thinking he wanted to go down.

He almost dropped the spoon when your voice broke into his reverie. “Is that hot chocolate?”

All the hard won calm scattered like leaves in the wind. Kagami’s jaw became a little slack as he realized he was not immune, at all, to the sight of you in his oversized t-shirt. There was an illegal length of leg showing, toned and slightly scarred. You tugged self-consciously at the edge of the top.

“Please say something, you’re making me nervous.”

He jolted and then felt a rush of heat in his core as he took in your pink face. The combination of his musky scent from the clothes and his abrupt stillness made you jittery. It only increased when he held out the mug to you, face unreadable.

“That will warm you up. Please drink.”

You took the cup reluctantly, still worried about his odd reaction. You set the mug down on the nearby coffee table, sitting down with legs crossed. Kagami sat down with a drink of his own, face still inscrutable.

You reached out and brushed your fingers against his arm. “Kagami-kun, is everything okay?”

In a blink, he turned around, grabbing your wrist. The second instant saw you pinned to the floor before you could process it, one hand still trapped. Your eyes widened as Kagami’s face dipped close enough for you to feel his breath.

“____-san, you shouldn’t touch me without warning. It’s hard enough to control myself. I’ll just hug you again.”

Colour suffused your cheeks. Your senses buzzed with awareness at his proximity. Your free hand stretched out to his face, unable to help yourself. Kagami made a sound somewhere between a groan and a rumble when you lightly touched his lower lip.

His tiger eyes darkened as you traced up his face to cup his cheek. “I don’t mind. Hugs, that is.”

When he possessively gripped your hand, you looked back at him in anticipation. His eyes moved to your mouth, his gaze intense. Your eyes drifted closed, your head tilted up. He moved even closer.

“Taiga, there you are, I’ve been- Oh my.”

Kagami jumped backward like a bullet at the sound of Alex’s voice. You sat up, startled by the crash he caused as he bumped into the table.

He went back to his stammering, red-faced self. “A-Alex, you- WHERE WERE YOU ALL THIS TIME?”

She shrugged, her expression brightening as she laid eyes on you. “Taiga, where have you been hiding this pretty girl? And how long have you been going out?”

You on the other hand, were just bewildered. You were quite tall, but Alex was a veritable Amazon, towering a good three inches over you. Combined with her golden hair, statuesque figure and general presence, it was just intimidating. Also, she wasn’t wearing much in the way of clothes.

Kagami shut his eyes in a long-suffering sigh. “For the love of God, Alex, put some clothes on.”

She shrugged into a hoodie that made the situation slightly more tolerable. “My bad, I was taking a nap. Are you ever going to introduce us, Taiga?”

You inclined your head as Kagami made the introduction, eyes still shut. You ran a considering gaze over Alex when you understood who she was. You weren’t sure if you liked the idea of her walking around half-naked in Kagami’s house, even though he didn’t seem too pleased with it.

You slanted a glance his way. Unbeknownst to you, he was silently cursing Alex’s terrible timing and considering making her Himuro’s or even Aomine’s problem. You had become withdrawn after Alex’s surprise and he could imagine how it looked.

_I bet she thinks I’m some sort of sleazy dude that has random women at his house. Why, Alex, why?_

Alex, cheerfully oblivious as ever, pulled out a box from the shelf. “Hey Taiga, now that ____-san is here, let’s play this. We finally have enough people to make it interesting.” She held out a box of Jenga.

Kagami tried to refuse, but Alex insisted, saying it was her last couple of days in Japan anyway, and he should indulge her. He finally gave up, turning to you with an apologetic look. You gave him a nod of reassurance and the game started.

An hour later, you and Alex were fast friends and Kagami never wanted to see another wooden block again. Alex stretched her arms above her head, sighing.

“Well, that was fun. It’s getting late though, ____-san needs to go home. Taiga, walk her back.”

Kagami shook himself out of a Jenga-induced haze. “Yeah, sure.”

You excused yourself to change back into your clothes, during which time Alex gave Kagami several significant looks he didn’t understand. She shook her head at his denseness when you returned.

As Kagami moved to put on his shoes, you stopped him. “It’s fine, Kagami-kun, my house isn’t that far. You don’t need to walk me.”

His face was stubborn. “No, I can’t let you go alone.”

You sighed. “You don’t need to. It’s really close. Like…two floors above yours.”

There was a moment of silence all round as Kagami absorbed this fact. Alex began laughing hysterically.

“Really? All this time, you were living upstairs and Taiga never ran into you?”

You shrugged. “I have no idea why. Maybe our schedules are just really different?”

Kagami came forward and gripped your wrist. “I’m still walking you to the elevator, though.”

In front of the lift, he hesitated. You waited until he finally spoke. “So…I had fun today. I hope you did too?”

The hopefulness in his tone made you smile. “I did. Would you like to meet again and spend time together?”

His gaze snapped to yours. “I-If that’s okay with you, yeah.”

“Then I’ll see you later, Kagami Taiga. And don’t worry, I like Alex too.” He flushed, and looked away as the elevator pinged.

You took advantage of his momentary distraction to rise up on your toes and pull his head down a little. His eyes flew open when your lips pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. He clapped a hand to the spot, cheeks burning.

You stepped away, slightly blushing as well. “I...will hold you to that promise, Kagami-kun. Show me DVDs of your games the next time I come over.”

He was still speechless.

_The next time? Holy…there’s going to be a next time. What will that be like?_

He said it just as the doors closed. “Yeah, I promise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoo, Kagami is a hard one to write. The closer they are to normal guys, like Takao and Kise, the harder it is for me to understand them, lol.
> 
> Also, please, I know wrote this in for plot, but never go into the house of someone you aren't very familiar with. THINGS COULD HAPPEN.
> 
> Let me know what you think. Hugs to everyone!


	3. It's a mirror-cle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Four times you fell a little deeper in love with Kagami. 
> 
> Note: The Bonus chapter at the end is vaguely NSFW-ish. Beware my attempts at smut and trolling readers.

**The one with the ice skating:**

Kagami checked the message a third time to be sure he’d gotten the location right.

_I am in the right hall…so why is it that I feel so out of place?_

All the mothers accompanying the many children milling about were giving him curious looks. He fidgeted in his seat, stiff with discomfort. Luckily, Himuro turned up at that moment and saved him.

“Ah, Taiga, there you are. I managed to find you.”

He seated himself with a self-assured movement that Kagami would never be able to pull off. His silvery eye glinted with interest.

“So where is this person you wanted me to see? I’m intrigued about this girl that could make you come to a rink.”

Kagami cleared his throat in an embarrassed noise. “The program starts in two minutes. She’ll be here soon.”

More people of the adult variety were filling the rink now, bringing the low hum of conversation with them.

Himuro’s smile was amused. “Keeping close track of the time, I see. Ah, young love.”

Before Kagami could snap back what he thought of that, the lights dimmed and the spotlights centred on the edge of the rink. You skated over to the centre of the ice, and shifted into a pose with your arms tucked in.

What Kagami hadn’t been expecting was the other figure who joined you, a boy whose arms settled around your waist in readiness. Himuro’s eye had widened as well. 

“Taiga, is it…”

Sad-sounding instrumental music filtered into the hall. After a moment of stillness, you and the boy began to move in tandem, gliding around each other like love-struck swans. Kagami held his breath as the speed of the skaters and the music picked up. He didn’t release it until you had landed from the twist lift, one foot gracefully raised in an arabesque.

He frowned as you entered a series of complicated pair spins, the boy fitting around you like a puzzle piece.

_Just where are you touching her…_

He had to freeze again in terror when the music reached a crescendo and you were dipped into a death spiral. You were so, so close to the ice, body completely parallel to the ground and held in place by only the single-handed grip of your partner. He wanted to scream at you to stop before the inevitable crash came.

But it didn’t, and the pas de deux ended with a lift, drawing to a close with you sliding down the length of the other skater. You brushed his face in a longing caress. The audience burst into applause after a moment, breaking the rose-tinged silence that the dance had created.

Kagami was ready to kill someone.

Himuro gave him a wary glance. “Well, that was unexpected.”

He was still a bubbling mess of emotions when you met him outside the rink, face free of makeup and expression as indifferent as ever.

“Kagami-kun, you came.” There was brief nod to Himuro here, with an assessing glance.

Kagami briefly tied up the raging demons of his mental hell and introduced Himuro. After exchanging pleasantries, you asked the dangerous question.

“So what did you think?” You were a mix of curiosity and apprehension. On the off chance he found it boring, you didn’t know how you would react.

Kagami hesitated, adding fuel to your fears. “It…looked really dangerous and difficult. But I thought…I thought you looked beautiful.”

_She never really shows her feelings on her face, but over there…she looked like she was actually in love with that guy._

Your face softened into lines of quiet happiness. “Thank you. I didn’t know how it would go. It’s been a while since Touma and I have skated together for an event. I guess it was okay.”

Kagami’s jaw clenched. He’d just managed to forget that mysterious other skater.

_And he’s Touma, while I’m Kagami-kun…_

Himuro smiled wickedly. “I think Taiga wasn’t prepared for you to be skating in a pair.”

You were surprised. “Did I never mention it? Huh. Well, you know now.”

Kagami almost face-palmed at your nonchalance. You turned around at the sound of shoes tapping.

“Oh, he’s meeting up with his girlfriend. Too bad, I wanted him to meet you.”

He noted the way your face darkened a fraction at the sight. He took in the lean young man, dressed in black and yellow, sleeves long despite the weather. He suspected your relationship with this Touma had been deeper than it seemed.

You turned back to the boys. Himuro was still looking like a pleasant advertisement, and Kagami’s face had become shuttered. You wondered what had gone wrong in the past few seconds.

“So, do you guys have plans for the evening?”

Himuro shook his head. “Not with Taiga, no. Speaking of which, I need to get going. It was lovely meeting you, ____-san. Taiga, I’ll see you tomorrow.” He strode away with a wave.

You looked expectantly at Kagami. “Shall we go home now?”

He nodded once and held out a hand for your bag. Hoisting it over his shoulder, he started walking, not saying a word.

You waited for a while and decided enough was enough. “Ask me whatever’s been bothering you, Kagami-kun.”

He stiffened and then exhaled. “What happened between you and that…person called Touma?”

You looked down at your shoes. “So you noticed. I guess I’d have to explain it one day.”

He didn’t say anything, and just waited. You pursed your lips in thought. Your voice was soft when you spoke.

“Touma and I have been skating partners since we were twelve. But even before that, we used to be family friends. Neither of us expected to like skating so much, and we certainly never thought we’d end up doing it together.”

He took this in with a strained face, but nodded for you to continue.

 “You have to understand, we were very close. We did everything together. One reason we performed so well in pair skating was because we knew each other so well. There was absolute trust between us. Like…you and Kuroko-kun.”

Kagami nodded again, not wanting to interrupt the flow of your narration.

“Then a while before we met in the rink, Touma just…changed. It didn’t seem like it on the outside, but he was behaving really strangely. He was distracted a lot. I asked him about it, and he just said it was none of my concern. I pushed him for answers, but he ignored me.”

Kagami could sense this was going nowhere good. “What happened after that?”

“We had a qualifiers competition. Touma was especially out of it that day. He kept checking his watch. I asked him if he was really okay with competing, but he just pushed my worries aside. And then…”

You stopped walking, trying to stifle the fear that resurfaced with the memories. Kagami touched your shoulder when he saw how pale your face was.

The explanation came out in a rush of words. “And then, he did something he should never have done. He thought about something other than the routine and his partner on the ice. He…we were supposed to do a twist lift, so he should have caught me when I came down. Instead, he accidentally skipped two steps ahead and threw me for a jump, which I wasn’t expecting. Obviously, I fell, and knocked him over while doing it. Our legs got tangled and his blades cut into me. It cut across one tendon. Touma got some scars as well, though not as deep as mine.”

The boy standing next to you was horrified. He couldn’t imagine what that experience must have been like, losing a teammate and your ability to compete in one careless move.

You sucked in a breath. “After that, I didn’t speak to him for weeks. He finally turned up one day and apologized. Apparently he had been having issues at home and some misunderstandings with his girlfriend. I was angry at first, but then eventually, we reconciled. But the trust that we had – we’ll never get it back now. He chose not to confide in me, and he was distracted when it mattered the most. And now I can’t bring myself to skate again.”

Kagami grabbed your wrist, eyes blazing. “I thought you said you couldn’t skate because you injured your ankle.”

You furrowed your brow. “Yes, though I suppose with enough rehabilitation I could get it to something workable. But by then it would be too late, and I don’t want to anyway.”

He flinched when you looked back at him, eyes clouded with anguish and confusion. Your voice was a whisper. “I don’t think I can return to this without remembering what happened.”

Everything in Kagami rebelled at the idea of you not being out on the ice again. There was no way he was going to let this go, though he sensed he had to go about this carefully. He looked out at the street. It was only a minute away from the apartment complex. He settled on a course of action.

“Right. Let’s go.” He hauled you off to his home without warning.

“Kagami-kun, what is going on?” You watched as he determinedly marched over to the TV and started up the DVD player.

“You said you wanted to watch Seirin play, right? There’s match you should see.”

Ten minutes in, you could tell something was really strange about this match. “Something is off about this Kirisaki Daichi team.”

Kagami nodded. “That’s because they play dirty. You see our center, Kiyoshi-senpai?”

“Yeah?” You couldn’t understand where this was going.

“He has a bad knee he’s getting treatment for in America. These jerks did that in Seirin’s first year, and then they broke it again when we played them.”

Your eyes sharpened at the screen. “That’s low. How did they get away with this?”

He spoke in a growl. “They do it so well, the referees don’t notice. We beat them in the end, but the damage was done.”

“And is Kiyoshi-san alright now?”

“He’s getting better. But that wasn’t what I really wanted to talk about.”

You raised an eyebrow in question. “Is this going to be something related to me in the end?”

He grabbed your shoulders. You had to tilt your head back as he loomed over you, his face set in passionate resolve. “Kiyoshi-senpai knew what it would cost him when he played Rakuzan, but he didn’t give up. He thought even if it was only for a few seconds longer, he would do everything to stay on the court. ____-san, you miss the rink. I can’t say I know the feeling of losing trust in someone like that. But I think not skating hurts you more than the memories. So…what I’m trying to say is, you can’t give up either.”

You blinked back tears as he finished. “Kagami-kun, I…”

He panicked when he saw your composure crack. “Ahhhh, I didn’t mean to- I’m sorry! It just seemed like you needed some encouragement and – Oh man, I messed this up, didn’t I?”

You gave a choked laugh as he rubbed his neck nervously. “As always, you’re kind of cute when you panic.”

He turned a violent shade of red at the statement. You wiped your eyes with your sleeve. His gaze was serious, but also silently hopeful when you met his eyes again.

“I can’t say anything for now, but I’ll rethink my decision. And I’ll go to therapy. So thank you for worrying about me. I think I needed that.”

He looked away in embarrassment, hand covering his mouth. “T-that’s what friends are for. Desu.”

You curled a lip in annoyance. “I told you not to treat me like a senior, Kagami-kun. Now you’ll have to cook dinner as punishment.”

He turned back, slightly baffled. “That’s not really a strong punishment, but okay…”

“And you’ll do it shirtless.”

“I said ok- wait, what was that?”

* * *

 

**The one with the perfumes:**

You were walking along the street with Kagami with grocery bags in your arms when he abruptly swivelled his head.

“Oh, I think someone made donburi.” There was a pause as he mulled it over. “Katsudon, it looks like.”

When he turned back, your eyes were wide. “How did you know that? Is it a secret basketball skill?”

He looked bashful. “I can tell from the way it smells.”

You were even more astounded. “Even the ingredients?”

“Yeah? That’s how I learnt how to cook.” He blinked as your face took on a speculative cast.

A while later, he was still mystified as you set out an array of Tupperware boxes on the table and held out a scarf.

“Here, tie that over your eyes.” You shook the fabric for emphasis.

He was so lost, there was no coming back from this. “But…why?” His mind suddenly went down a certain route of possibilities and he flushed. “____-san, I’m not-“

You rolled your eyes. “Stop imagining perverted things. I just want to do a test of your scent ability.”

“Oh. What for?” Surely there was no point establishing what he already knew.

“I need to see this in action for myself. Humour me.” You watched as he reluctantly tied the scarf around his eyes.  

When he finally got to take it off again, you were looking at him with the seriousness reserved for ground-breaking rocket science. “Kagami-kun. You need to go shopping with me on Tuesday.”

“Okay?”

…

“…and that’s why I need you to help me buy a perfume.”

Kagami wasn’t listening. He would later blame Koganei for this lack of attentiveness, because it was the cat-like boy who’d brought up Tsuchida’s girlfriend and how lucky Tsuchida was to have a steady relationship. Hyuuga had remarked on the absurd levels of competition in romance these days (though Kagami hadn’t understood the captain’s sideways glance) and the need to be quick on the uptake. Even Mitobe had pitched in, signalling something about being true to your feelings.

All Kagami had felt was an increasing unease, with the nagging realization that he didn’t know where he stood with you. Sure, you’d confided your fears in him, and maybe you’d hung out together a few times, but what did that mean? He recalled the soft brush of your lips over his skin. Girls didn’t kiss people they had no interest in, even on the cheek, right?

He frowned as another thought occurred to him. But what about that look you’d given that Toshi - no wait, Touma – guy? Were you still in love with him? That would make sense, you had been very close to him. No, it wasn’t likely after the accident. Maybe not. But that still didn’t eliminate the possibility of some other person he didn’t know about. Or some person who was yet to come. Which left only one conclusion…

_I should tell her. Tell her that I like her. Pick the right time and confess. But how do I that? I can barely keep my thoughts together when she’s around. What if I botch it? OH MY GOD, THIS IS GOING TO BE SO EMBARRASSING I CAN’T EVEN-_

“Kagami-kun, are you okay?” You regarded him in concern. He was gripping his head in frustration.

“Erm, what? Sorry, I didn’t hear the last bit.” His bewildered expression made you sigh.

“Look, I can’t go over all of it again, so in summary, help me pick out a perfume.”

“Shouldn’t you ask a girl for this? I don’t have any idea about this stuff.” He shifted uncomfortably.

“I know what I’m looking for, I just need you to identify some particular scents. It will be easier with you around. Besides,” your eyes twinkled, “are you saying you’d rather not spend time with me?”

“No, I-“ He stopped mid-sentence, staring at you. His thoughts swirled with all the things he wanted to say.

_I could spend time with you every day and it wouldn’t be enough. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do right now for you. So please, go out with me._

When you gave him a pointed look, waiting for him to finish, he recovered and shook his head. “Never mind. Let’s go find what you want then.”

He almost ran away though, when he saw the shelves stacked with hundreds of bottles, a cornucopia of fragrances waiting to be unleashed. He looked at you apprehensively.  “Do we have to go through ALL of those?”

“No, just a particular brand. I need a perfume that’s citrusy without being overpowering.”

He cocked his head at this. “That doesn’t seem like your type of scent, ____-san.”

“It’s for a friend.” He stiffened as you side-eyed him. “Which you would have known if you had listened to what I said.”

“Sorry about that. What about this one?” He held out a golden bottle with a bow-shaped lid. “It smells like lemon and lime.”

You took a sniff and shook your head. “No, that’s wrong. It’s too sweet.”

Fifteen bottles later, Kagami’s nose had stopped functioning altogether. He was developing a headache from all the aromas.

“____-san, please, please just pick one.” He pointed to a clear flask that glinted with diamond cut accents. “I say that one.”

You considered it for a few seconds, and then, to his everlasting relief, assented. “That one seems okay.”

After paying at the counter, you decided a show of sympathy was in order. “Kagami-kun, let’s go get ice-creams. My treat.”

He brightened. “Sure, thanks.”

In the park a while later, you finished off the last of your ice lolly before speaking. “Ne, I know I shouldn’t ask this when you did so much already…”

He regarded you with curiosity in his maroon pupils. “Hmm?”

“But can you tell what scents I’m wearing? Not perfume, but what I generally use.”

“H-HUH?!”

You leaned in closer. He stopped breathing when your eyes became shaded, and your face levelled dangerously close to his neck.

“For example,” you murmured, “you always smell like mint. Which is interesting, since there are notes of musk and sea salt…” You looked up at him. “Well. You just smell really good.”

The blood pounded in his ears as he stared at you, caught in your blue gaze. Somewhere in the distance he could hear his logic screaming at him.

_Tell her! Tell her right now!_

His lips parted. You spoke again, voice husky. “Kagami-kun.”

“Yeah?”

“I like you. Would you go out with me?”

His neural system went into overdrive. Electricity raced down his spine into his toes. Shock stilled his brain and his face.

“W-what?!”

You drew back, looking subdued. “Sorry, did you not want to?”

He gestured wildly. “That’s not- Shouldn’t I be the one asking you that? You can’t do this to me!”

You became confused. “I don’t understand. So what is it that you’re saying?”

He gulped, not quite able to look straight at you. Eventually he set his shoulders and looked up, face adorably red. “I l-like you too. So I’m saying let’s date.”

You gave him a smile that made his chest seize. It was the one that was full of promises and laughter, the rare one that made your eyes impossibly bright.   

“Then, please take care of me, Kagami-kun.”

“H-hai.”

* * *

**The one with the jump scares:**

_The sound got louder, more insistent._

_Thump. Thump._

_It was the sound of a heartbeat. The killer was somewhere nearby. You turned around frantically, trying to keep your eyes on the crank and your surroundings at the same time. There was no one there that you could sense, but the badump noise was growing stronger._

_You finished repairing the last mechanism to open the gate. Weaving through the trees to head to the exit, you were careful to keep a watch out for the murderer. You reached the final door, relief marking your every step. That second of carelessness cost you as the shadowy figure lunged out of nowhere and slashed across your defenceless back with a scythe._

_You could only watch helplessly as he slung you over his shoulder, carrying you off to the slaughter hook. Your cries of pain echoed off the dark sky as the spidery contraption tore you to shreds, leaving only blood and pain behind._

Kagami was horrified. “Why…do you like this game? I don’t understand.”

You gave him a sideways glance. His knuckles were white from clutching the sofa arm and his normally expressive face was frozen.

You took pity on him. “No one is forcing you to watch, Kagami-kun. Besides, it’s just a game. Think of it like a roller-coaster or something.”

He watched with desperate eyes as you started another session of co-op play. Why did people voluntarily subject themselves to this?

“That’s not helpful at all! What kind of roller-coaster hangs you up like meat and pulls your guts out?”

This elicited a sigh from you. “Then just hold on to me or something, if it makes you feel better.” You turned your attention back to the screen, waiting for more players to join the party.

“W-why would I do something like that? Besides, I don’t need to hold on to someone. I’m fine!”

You gave him another peripheral look. “If you say so.”

A few minutes into the game, you felt a large, warm hand cover yours. When you looked at him, Kagami’s ears were red, and his face was partially turned away.

He stammered a few unintelligible words. “I-I just like holding your hand. That’s all!”

His deflected confession warmed you inside and made you smile the tiniest bit. “Kagami-kun?”

“Y-yeah?” He still wasn’t looking at you.

“I need both hands to play.”

“Ah, sorry!”

* * *

**The one with the goldfish:**

Normally, one would have been crushed underfoot with this kind of crowd. As it was, you had to keep from elbowing several people as you moved around them. But you had it easier than a lot of other girls, because none of them was dating Kagami Taiga.

Kagami, whose large and overwhelming presence kept the masses from stampeding over you in the frenetic energy associated with a natsu matsuri. You saw a number of people eye his solid strength as they approached and then deviate sideways. It brought a tiny smile to your lips.

At that particular moment, you were watching him decide on street-food with the same burning intensity he applied to everything he did. He turned to you with concern.

“Are you sure you don’t want to eat anything other than the candied apples?”

You tapped his forehead with your folding fan, making him blink. “Yes, I’m sure. Do you know what you want to get?”

“Yakisoba, I think. Though the okomiyaki looks really good. So does the takoyaki…”

Your laugh chimed in his ears. “There’s nothing stopping you from getting them all, is there? Let’s get the takoyaki first.”

With a gentle tug on his hand, you drifted over to the appropriate stand. While Kagami waited for his order, you looked around, surveying the stalls. This gave him an opportunity to take in your appearance without interruption.

_I never really understood the appeal of girls wearing yukatas…until now. Crap, I shouldn’t be this happy over the fact she dressed up for me._

His internal turmoil increased when you lifted the collar of the dress away from your skin, trying to relieve the humidity. His eyes were caught by the expanse of smooth skin, the dip of a collarbone, the curve of a bare shoulder. He flinched when the vendor waved in his face to get his attention.

You slanted your eyes in his direction when he returned, face slightly red. You knew better than to ask by now what the matter was; literally anything could set off a Kagami blush.

He cleared his throat. “Do you want try some of the games?” You nodded in response.

The first thing you tried was the goldfish dip. The contrast between Kagami’s large hands and the flimsy paper scoop was laughable, but it became even harder to suppress your laughter when an especially vicious fish jumped back in and splashed water everywhere. Kagami blinked in a dazed fashion through the droplets clinging to his hair.

“Here.” You held out a white square of cloth. “You’ll drip water everywhere.”

When the owner of the stall wasn’t paying attention, you cheated and scooped up an extra fish. It didn’t amount to anything in the end, since you put back all the fish you and Kagami had collected. After that, you dragged him off to the basketball hoop with a stoic demand that he do his best.

He complied cheerfully. “If you say so, ____-san.”

The stall owner watched in growing horror as Kagami landed shot after shot, drawing a crowd with the repeated noise of the buzzer. At one point he just chucked it in Aomine-style. In an attempt to stop this from rapidly spiralling out of control, the man ran over with a deal.

“Enough, you’re killing my business! Take any prize you want! Just stop playing, please.”

Kagami glanced at your face. Girls liked getting large stuffed animals from these things, right? He opened his mouth to ask for the panda.

“Then,” you cut in with a polite smile, “could you give us those food coupons you have?”

The balding man looked in the direction of your pointed gaze. “These? Yeah, you can have ‘em.”

Once again, Kagami was left speechless, while you were triumphantly left with vouchers for free snacks from any stall in the festival. He cocked his head at you, trying to figure out how your brain worked.

“_____-san, do you not like stuffed toys?”

Only experience prevented whiplash from the sudden change in topic. “No more or less than any other person. Why?”

He ruffled his hair, confused. “Then why didn’t you just get one of those as a prize? That’s the normal thing to do, right?”

Things became a bit clearer. “Yeah, but I don’t really need one. This way we both get to try the things we want to eat without worrying about it. I’d rather have a memory of us being happy than a teddy bear.”

Kagami wondered, not for the first time, if you would ever not surprise him.

_Seriously, how’d I get this lucky? I don’t remember doing anything to deserve this._

His happiness was cut short, however, when he heard a familiar voice in the distance.

“Koganei, I’d tell you a chemistry joke, but I probably wouldn’t get a reaction.”

Multiple groans issued, as well as a fervent prayer from Hyuga that Izuki would just get hit by a bolt of lightning.

“Hyuga-kun, what a shocking thing to say.”

Kagami was frozen in a state of panic for two seconds. Then the need to escape hit him like a ton of bricks and he grabbed you by the hand. You almost dropped your fan in surprise.

“Come on, we need to leave!” Before you could process this, he jogged off, pulling you with him.

He finally stopped when you reached the edge of the crowd, where it was darker and the wooded area of the park resumed. You huffed, trying to catch your breath.

“What…was that?” Everything had seemed perfectly fine. What had gotten into him?

He finally seemed to realize that an explanation was in order. “We almost got caught back there.”

Caught? Were you eloping? “By who?” This had better be good.

He looked left and right, clearly still on edge. “Seirin’s basketball team. I heard Hyuga-senpai and Izuki-senpai talking.”

You prayed for forbearance, since you were only an inch away from hitting him with your purse. “And this is a problem why?” He wasn’t…embarrassed about your relationship, was he?

“I haven’t told anyone about us yet. If they met us suddenly and realized, we’d never have peace again. And trust me, you don’t want to meet Izuki-senpai without being prepared.”

He could almost see the inevitable break-up that would ensue once Izuki had finished insinuating every conceivable thing about your relationship known to mankind. Besides, if he was being honest, he’d rather that the team not get to see you looking the way you did now. He wanted to keep it to himself a little longer.

“I don’t really get it, but it’s not because you want to keep this a secret, right?” You’d just have to trust Kagami since you hadn’t met his team-mates.

“Of course not! I just don’t want to throw you into the mayhem without warning, I swear. And if they found us now, we wouldn’t be alone again for the rest of the evening.”

“Fine. Shall we find a quiet spot to watch the fireworks and hope that they miss us? It will start soon.” You took a step and gasped as you pitched forward.

Kagami caught you against his chest. “____-san! Are you alright?” His hands gripped your shoulders, steadying you.

You didn’t respond for a moment, soaking in the feeling of resting against him. He was so warm and safe. So dependable. Your palm flattened against the soft fabric of his t-shirt, feeling his heart beat at your fingertips. Eventually, you moved back with a sigh of regret.

“I think the strap of my sandal is broken.” You lifted a foot in illustration. “If we can find a place to sit down, I might be able to fix it.”

Kagami looked around and spotted a bench. “Let’s go over there.”

You squeaked in surprise as he lifted you off the ground easily in a smooth move. “Kagami-kun!”

Ignoring your shock, he walked over and gently set you down on the seat. You stared at him, eyes glowing in wonder.

“You did that so easily, I’m impressed. I’m not exactly light.” He sat down so you wouldn’t have to crane your neck to see him.

“You aren’t that heavy. And don’t you get lifted overhead when you skate?” It seemed like this should be a routine occurrence for you.

“That’s different. Only two kinds of lifts are performed by the male partner’s effort alone. For the others, the female skater has to contribute her own stamina to get the balance right. So for you to pick me up when I wasn’t expecting it is a pretty big deal. Do you think you could do that again? I was having a fairy-tale moment.”

He didn’t have any choice but to say yes, because you were looking at him with flushed cheeks and starry eyes, and what kind of man would he be to refuse that? Your attention was redirected when a loud crackle tore the sky.

“Oh, the fireworks are starting.” Inadvertently, you had a slightly better vantage point from the slope on the hill. You exhaled in awe as red and gold stars blossomed against the night.

Kagami was watching you instead, the way your eyes changed colour with the fireworks, the curl of your hair at your neck, the way your lips parted on a breath. His eyes stayed on the plushness of your mouth.

“Kagami-kun, I’m glad-“ You were cut off by Kagami covering your lips with his. When you stilled, he moved his mouth over yours in a gentle caress, coaxing a response. It broke through your stupor and you started to respond.

He groaned when your tongue hesitantly flicked over his. His strong fingers gripped the nape of your neck, slightly forcing your head up. The other hand braced against your waist.

In the fog caused by the feeling of his hands burning through your clothes, you could barely think. All you wanted was to be closer, closer. The kiss turned heated when your hands twisted in his hair and your body arched into his.

Kagami’s natural aggressiveness made up for the sloppy desperation of the lip-lock. All he could think about was about drawing more of that crystalline sweetness from your lips. You tasted of the sugary apples from earlier, and some elusive spice that had him exploring every crevice of your mouth. On instinct, he shifted so he could hitch your leg around him.

Your eyes flew open and you drew back when his heated touch met the sensitive skin behind your knee. You both stared at each other for a moment, chests heaving. Kagami’s gaze swept over your dishevelled appearance. He dropped his head back, fighting for control.

You spoke first. “Well. That was unexpected. In a good way.” You rested your head on his shoulder, unable to hold yourself up.

Kagami wanted nothing more than to keep going, but this wasn’t the time or place. He stroked your back soothingly. “Sorry, I just…got caught up in the mood.”

Your laugh vibrated through his chest. “Why are you apologizing? It’s not like I objected.” You traced patterns over his bronzed skin, still languid with desire. “Is there any chance we could continue?”

He groaned at the image. “Please don’t. This is difficult enough already.” He gently twined his fingers with yours to distract himself.

“Kagami-kun.” He rumbled in response. “I’m glad I met you. Sincerely.”

He swallowed, suddenly shy again at the confession. “Me too, _____-san. Now, shall we go home?”

You were happy to end the evening on that note, teasing Kagami all the way back to his apartment, and falling asleep in complete contentment.

* * *

 **BONUS** \- The one where everyone is in university:

“Kagami-kun, does this look okay?”

He turned around from where he was putting flour away in the cupboard and choked.

“W-WHAT IS THAT? WHY ARE YOU WEARING THAT?”

You looked down at the blue satin you were wearing. “It’s not that bad, sheesh. Doesn’t every boyfriend want his girlfriend to wear something like this?”

They did, but not with so little warning. He dragged his eyes up from the lacy camisole and teddy shorts. You looked mildly amused.

“Did Alex have something to do with this? She wants to send me to an early grave, and she’s gotten you into it.”

“Pfft. She might have given me the idea, yes. I may have wanted to punish you a bit, yes.”

You padded forward, making him back up into the kitchen counter. He stammered, ears red.

“What-what now?!”

“Say, Taiga.” His name was a verbal caress, one that went straight to his spine. “Don’t you think it’s about time we progressed with our relationship?”

He started sliding out of your reach, wondering if he could make it all the way out of the kitchen.

“Yes, but it doesn’t have to be right now. Don’t you have things to be doing?”

He was almost there. If he was lucky, he could manoeuvre you into the bedroom and lock you in without ever laying hands on you. You looked disappointed.

“But Taiga, I’d say this is the perfect time.” you purred. He flinched. Did you have to say his name like that? “  

“Well, that makes one of us.” He was congratulating himself on having made it till the living room sofa when you suddenly wrapped your arms around his waist. He ended up against a wall again, arms raised.

“Can’t you just indulge me this once? I don’t want to feel like this set has gone to waste.” He suppressed a moan as the satin slid over his skin. He so badly wanted to take it off. But it was broad daylight, and he had to show some restraint, dammit!

_Think of Ahomine, think of Ahomine, Ahomine…_

You destroyed the last of his hard-won self-control in a calculated fashion. Taking his work-roughened palm to your face, you dropped a kiss on it. His breathing became erratic as you continued, kissing each fingertip. Finally, you looked up at him through your lashes and gave his thumb a single, deliberate lick.

A switch flipped. You almost felt triumphant when you were hoisted up a foot and pinned against the wall. Kagami’s hard frame filled your vision, almost blocking out the light. His face was written with single-minded intensity. His eyes trapped yours, rich like dark wine.

“Remember,” he said, brushing a thumb over the swell of your lower lip, “you asked for this. ____.”

The thrill of finally hearing your name in his hoarse voice made you shudder. You nipped at his neck playfully. He growled and rocked his hips upwards into the cradle of your legs. The friction made you whimper with longing.

“Taiga,” you begged, “please.”

Clamping his mouth over yours in a bruising kiss, he walked to the bedroom. You were tossed onto the bed just in time to see him pull off his shirt. Your mouth went dry at the chiselled musculature on display. He came back to cage you in with that glorious body, hands leaving trails of fire up your legs as he covered your skin in broad sweeps.

Your head fell back and you bit your cheek to keep from crying out as it got worse. He trailed his nose and lips over the inside of your thigh, pausing at the edge of the shorts.

“Hmm.” His voice was a deep, magnetic rumble. “So you _do_ smell like vanilla everywhere. I wonder if you taste of it too?” This was punctuated by a light bite, followed by a scrape of his tongue. You almost jerked off the bed from the pleasure.     

He looked up at you from his position between your knees. “Are you sure?”

You understood what he was asking and cupped his face. “With you, always. Now get with the program.”

His grin was nothing short of wicked. “Oh, I plan to.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so the infamous Kagami fic comes to an end. I liked him much more as a person by the end of this writing experience, and I hope you liked him too. Reader is a bit of a blank slate, but oh well. Poor Kagami doesn't seem to be popular as a hetero hero, I wonder why. Even Kuroko has more presence...
> 
> I would love, love, love it if you left comments. Tell me what I do well, and what I don't. Is it the comedy? The romance? Or nothing at all (in which case, oh dear)? But for those who even just stop by to read, many thanks. Have a great day.


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